The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-03-08
NEWS OF THE NATION.
What TRANSFERRED at Washing.
ton on Monday.
THE RIVER AND HARBOR BILL.
A Decision the Supreme Court Re.
garding Rights of Chinese-Justice
Field Partially Dissents.
News of the Nation

News OF the Nation.
| WASHINGTON, D. c., March 7.-Among
the presidential postmasters appointed
to-day was john McGonigle, San
Buena Ventura, California, vice Mrs.
Jane Goodwin, resigned.
Although a pressure has been
| brought to bear upon the President to
induce him to approve the river and
harbor bill, and strong arguments have
been made and cases cited to establish
authority for the executive to sign any
| bill within ten days after the adjourn
ment of Congress, il is authoritatively
stated at the White House that the
Presiden9 will not approve the bill.
In a dispatch to the Department of
State, Minister DENLY pays a high
compliment to the present military ad-
ministratiOn in FJrmosa, who, the min
lister says, are doing much to establish
order and deve'ope the resources of the
Island. In the last year he has been
able to bring into subsection over 400
villages, with the result that 10000
people have embraced civilization, and
over 20 600 acres of abandoned land
has been reclaimed. The previous
condition of affairs is exempli6ed by the
statement of Vice-ConsuI CoWles, that
a thousand murders year are charged
upon the aborigines.
Consul Cowles, speaking of the en-
ergetic administration of the Governor
General, says that he has instituted
many new taxes and has created gov
eminent monopoly of the camphor in
dustry. This, says the consul, is re-
garded by foreigners as but The first
step, or the entering wedge, the feeling
of the way, by the native authorities of
| Formosa TO similar and more important
| government monopolies in other
and more important articles of
industry and trade, that might cause
irrepsrable injury to foreign CONNER
cial interests connected with the trade
of Formosa. Such, for instance, as the
tea and sugar trade, and as nearly all
the tea produced in Formosa finds
market in the United States, as
well as some OF the sugar pro-
ducts, the creation of government mon
opolies in that Island may justly be
viewed with more than ordinary inter-
est, as to their present and probable fu-
ture effect upon American interests.
Troteer, the new recorder of deeds
for the District of Columbia, called at
the White House TO day, in company
with ex-Recorder Mathews and was
formally presented to the President.
1t was their first meeting.
1t is expected that Judgment Nc
Cue, Solicitor of the Treasury, will
either be appointed as additional circuit
judge for the Kentucky District for the
trial of Customs cases. or that he will
be appointed. Assistant Secretary of the
Treasury, in the event Of FaIrchilds'
appointment as Secretary.
THE SUPREME COURT
reassembled to-day after the February
recess.
All the justices were in their seats
except Justice Woods, who is still in
California.
Decisions were rendered in twenty
eight cases, of which the following are
those of most general Importance.
No. 90, Executors of Elias Spe;del, de-
ceased, against the trustees of the Har-
mony Society of Beaver County; ap-
peal from the United States Circuit
Court for the western district of Penn
sylvania. This was a suit brought by
former member of the Harmonys.com
munity to recover what he claimed was
his individual share in the
community's property. Appellant
maintains his suit against the trustees,
on the ground that the trust is not
charity in the legal sense; that the.
members OF the society are equitable
tenants in common of the property held
III trust, and that the trust is unlawful
because founded in fraud and against
public policy and should, therefore, be
dissolved. This court, without consid-
ering the questions thus raised as to the
nature of the community and of the
trust, decides that inasmuch as Speidel
withdrew from the community in 1881,
and never returned, and for more than
fifty years TOOK no steps to obtain an
account from the trustees or to assert
his alleged rights, he is not now entitled
to relief. If he ever had any rights, he
could not assert them after such delay.
The decree OF the circuit court is af-
firmed.
No. 126.-Accidental Insurance Com
parry of North America, plaintiff, in
error, against Loretto NJ. Crandall, in
error to the United States Circuit
Court for the District OF Illinois. This
is a suit upon policy OF an accidental
insurance, and presents the question
whether the policy insUred against
bodily injuries effected through ex-
ternal. accidental and violent means,
and occasioning death or complete dis
ability to do business, and providing
that ''this insurance shall not extend to
death or disability. which may
have been caused wholly or in part by
bodily infrmities or disease, or by tax
ing OF poison, or by suicide, or self
inflicted injuries.!'
This court holds that the question is
to a great extent determined by pre-
vious decisions TO the effect of policy
of life insurance. which provides that 1t
snail be null and void if the Ensured
shall die by suicide" or 'shsll die by
his own hand"
This court has repeatedly and uni
formly held that such provision not
containing the words ''sane or insane"
does not include self-killing by an In
sane person. There can be no doubt in
the present state of the law that Gran
dali did not die by suicide" within the
meaning of this policy, and the same
rea sons are conclusive against the hold
uig that he died by ''self-intiicted IN
iuries." If "self-killing." suicide"
'.dyi ing by his own hand" cannot be
predicated of an insane person. no more
can "sef-inficted injuries" for In